Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Alignment, Construction, and Operation of a Rail Line to A
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Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 68 / Thursday, April 8, 2004 / Notices 18565 Issued in Washington, DC April 2, 2004. potential construction and operation of of spent nuclear fuel and high-level Margaret S. Y. Chu, a rail-to-truck intermodal transfer radioactive waste to the repository. Director, Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste facility, proposed to be located at the Under the mostly rail scenario, the Management. confluence of an existing mainline Department would rely on a [FR Doc. 04–7949 Filed 4–7–04; 8:45 am] railroad and a highway, to support legal- combination of rail, truck and possibly BILLING CODE 6450–01–P weight truck transportation until the rail barge to transport to the repository site system is fully operational. at Yucca Mountain up to 70,000 metric DATES: The Department invites and tons of heavy metal (MTHM) of spent DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY encourages comments on the scope of nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive the EIS (hereafter referred to as the Rail waste. Most of the spent nuclear fuel Notice of Intent to Prepare an Alignment EIS) to ensure that all and high-level radioactive waste, Environmental Impact Statement for relevant environmental issues and however, would be transported by rail. the Alignment, Construction, and reasonable alternatives are addressed. The Department’s decision to select Operation of a Rail Line to a Geologic Public scoping meetings are discussed the mostly rail scenario in Nevada will Repository at Yucca Mountain, Nye below in the SUPPLEMENTARY ultimately require the construction of a County, NV INFORMATION section. DOE will consider rail line to connect the repository site at Yucca Mountain to an existing rail line AGENCY: U.S. Department of Energy. all comments received during the 45- in the State of Nevada for the shipment ACTION: Notice of intent. day public scoping period, which starts with the publication of this Notice of of spent nuclear fuel and high-level SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Intent and ends May 24, 2004. radioactive waste in the event that the Energy (DOE or the Department) Comments received after the close of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission announces its intent to prepare an public scoping period will be authorizes construction of the repository environmental impact statement (EIS) considered to the extent practicable. and receipt and possession of these materials at Yucca Mountain. To that under the National Environmental ADDRESSES: Written comments on the end, in the same Record of Decision, the Policy Act (NEPA) for the alignment, scope of this Rail Alignment EIS, Department also decided to select the construction, and operation of a rail line questions concerning the proposed Caliente rail corridor to study possible for shipments of spent nuclear fuel, action and alternatives, requests for high-level radioactive waste, and other alignments for this rail line. maps that illustrate the Caliente corridor In the Repository Final EIS, DOE materials from a site near Caliente, and alternatives, or requests for defined a rail corridor as a 0.25 miles Lincoln County, Nevada, to a geologic additional information on the Rail (400-meter) wide strip of land that repository at Yucca Mountain, Nye Alignment EIS or transportation encompasses one of several possible County, Nevada. On April 2, 2004, the planning in general should be directed alignments or specific locations within Department signed a Record of Decision to: Ms. Robin Sweeney, EIS Document which DOE could build a rail line. The announcing its selection, both Manager, Office of National Caliente rail corridor was described as nationally and in the State of Nevada, of Transportation, Office of Civilian originating at an existing siding to the the mostly rail scenario analyzed in the Radioactive Waste Management, U.S. mainline railroad near Caliente, Nevada, ‘‘ Final Environmental Impact Statement Department of Energy, 1551 Hillshire and extending in a westerly direction to for a Geologic Repository for the Drive, M/S 011, Las Vegas, NV 89134, the northwest corner of the Nevada Test Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel and Telephone 1–800–967–3477, or via the and Training Range, before turning High-Level Radioactive Waste at Yucca Internet at http://www.ocrwm.doe.gov south-southeast to the repository at Mountain, Nye County, Nevada’’ (DOE/ under ‘‘What’s New.’’ Yucca Mountain. EIS–0250F, February 2002) (Repository FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For In the Repository Final EIS, DOE also Final EIS). This decision will ultimately general information regarding the DOE identified eight variations along the require the construction of a rail line to NEPA process contact: Ms. Carol M. Caliente corridor that may minimize or connect the repository site at Yucca Borgstrom, Director, Office of NEPA avoid environmental impacts and/or Mountain to an existing rail line in the Policy and Compliance (EH–42), U.S. mitigate construction complexities. State of Nevada for the shipment of Department of Energy, 1000 Variations were defined as a strip of spent nuclear fuel and high-level Independence Ave., SW., Washington, land 0.25 miles (400-meters) wide that radioactive waste, in the event that the DC 20585, Telephone 202–586–4600, or describes a different route, from one Nuclear Regulatory Commission leave a message at 1–800–472–2756. point along the corridor to another point authorizes construction of the repository SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: on the corridor. Thus, the Caliente and receipt and possession of these corridor ranges between 318 miles (512 materials at Yucca Mountain. To that Background kilometers) and 344 miles (553 end, the Department also decided to On July 23, 2002, the President signed kilometers) in length, depending on the select the Caliente rail corridor 1 in into law (Pub. L. 107–200) a joint variations considered. In the Repository which to examine possible alignments resolution of the U.S. House of Final EIS, DOE did not identify for construction of a rail line that would Representatives and the U.S. Senate variations for about 55 percent of the connect the repository at Yucca designating the Yucca Mountain site in length of the corridor (hereafter these Mountain to an existing main rail line Nye County, Nevada, for development areas are referred to as ‘‘common in Nevada. DOE is now announcing its as a geologic repository for the disposal segments’’). intent to prepare this Rail Alignment of spent nuclear fuel and high-level DOE proposes to consider the EIS to assist in selecting this alignment. radioactive waste. Subsequently, the common segments and the eight The EIS also would consider the Department issued a Record of Decision variations as preliminary alternatives to (April 2, 2004) to announce its be evaluated in the Rail Alignment EIS. 1 A corridor is a strip of land 0.25 miles (400 selection, both nationally and in the These alternatives are described in the meters) wide that encompasses one of several possible routes through which DOE could build a State of Nevada, of the mostly rail Preliminary Alternatives section. In rail line. An alignment is the specific location of a scenario analyzed in the Repository addition, DOE will consider other rail line in a corridor. Final EIS as the mode of transportation potential variations outside of the 0.25 VerDate mar<24>2004 16:47 Apr 07, 2004 Jkt 203001 PO 00000 Frm 00047 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\08APN1.SGM 08APN1 18566 Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 68 / Thursday, April 8, 2004 / Notices mile wide corridor that might minimize, The construction of the rail line grading of slopes, rock-fall protection avoid or mitigate adverse environmental would require the clearing and devices, and restoration of disturbed impacts. excavation of previously undisturbed areas. For purposes of analysis in the Rail lands, and the establishment of borrow Operation of the Caliente rail line Alignment EIS, a rail line alignment is and spoils 4 areas. To establish a stable would be consistent with Federal defined as a strip of land 100 feet (30 base for the rail track, construction Railroad Administration standards for meters) on either side of the centerline crews would excavate some areas and maintenance, operations, and safety. A of the track within the Caliente corridor, fill (add more soil to) others, as typical spent nuclear fuel and high-level passing through the common segments determined by terrain features. To the radioactive waste train would consist of and variations. DOE will define regions extent possible, material excavated from two diesel-electric locomotives; three or of influence for each environmental one area would be used in areas that more rail cars containing spent nuclear resource (for example, biological or required fill material. However, if the fuel or high-level radioactive waste; cultural resources) that will extend distance to an area requiring fill buffer cars; and an escort car. A typical beyond the dimensions of the alignment material were excessive, the excavated train carrying construction materials and allow DOE to estimate material would be disposed of in spoils would not have buffer cars or an escort environmental impacts over the areas, and a borrow area would be car. geographic area in which the impact is established adjacent to the area At the Yucca Mountain repository, likely to be realized. Within these requiring fill material. Access roads to rail cars containing casks of spent regions of influence, DOE will estimate spoils and borrow areas would be built nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive environmental impacts of the common during the track base construction work. waste would move through a security segments and alternatives, both Under the Proposed Action, DOE check into the radiologically controlled area. The casks would be inspected and separately and in aggregate. In this way, would construct a secure railyard and protective barriers removed, in the analyses of the Rail Alignment EIS facilities at the operational interface preparation for waste handling at the will offer DOE flexibility to minimize, with the mainline railroad near repository.